Abandon
by Garowyn
Summary: A young Auel, Stellar, and Sting, and the consequences of disobedience.


**Author's Notes: I do not own Gundam Seed or Gundam Seed Destiny; it's all written for fun and no profit whatsoever. I don't know much about Lodonia, so I've had to speculate. And it's never completely confirmed if Sting has a block word or not, so I've taken it upon myself to fix that for this story. This particular story is different from the time line I've created for my stories, "Of Flesh and Blood" and "Of Sound Mind."**

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Confined to his quarters alone, like every other child was, Sting lay with his hands settled underneath his head, half-covered by a thick, grayish sheet. Green eyes with a hint of golden scanned the darkened room, unable to find comfort whenever the eyelids closed. Each time he did that, recollections of days gone by filled with combat training and the conditioning of his mind were the only visions he saw. No carefree dreams of what could be, no instant nothingness.

Sting wondered who would come first tonight and attempt to hide under his protective wing. He'd no idea why they always sought him out for comfort he felt he couldn't give, but apparently his presence was enough. Comparing the three of them together, Sting knew his sanity and bravery were rooted deeper than theirs. He'd been in the facility two whole years before they had arrived. He saw and understood. The transition from nine-year-old to twelve-year-old had been relatively easy when one connected the dots about what transpired in Lodonia.

But their transformation was taking too long despite their quick learning and agile reflexes. Auel and Stellar were becoming formidable fighters, but Auel wasn't one to surrender easily to authority, and Stellar's concentration needed work, especially when handling a gun. Sting remembered with a grim smile the bandaged hand one of the workers sported because of Stellar's careless mistake.

A creak at his door alerted the incoming presence of a ten-year-old girl. Stellar crept inside on bare tip-toes. She gently leaned against the door until it shut quietly but firmly. Then, she whispered, "Sting?" and made her way across the miniature length of the room.

"What is it?" Sting whispered back, sitting up.

Stellar climbed onto the bed by his feet, sitting on her heels. "I had a bad dream," she said softly, playing with a lock of her sun-kissed hair.

Sting brought his knees up to to chest-length, resting his chin on the tops. "It's just a dream."

Stellar nodded wildly. "I know, but it was scary!" She leaned forward, able to see his profile almost clearly. "I was in the water and I couldn't swim. I was drowning! I thought I was going to..._die._" A teardrop inched downwards from her magenta orb. "I don't want to die, Sting. Not ever. Shani Andras said when I die, there'll be no more sun." Stellar whimpered, "I like the sun."

That Shani, always frightening Stellar. Sting shook his head. "Don't listen to him. He doesn't know anything."

"OK, Sting," Stellar whispered back.

Another sound at the door caused both of them to stare wide-eyed, afraid that the visitor would be a worker. Thankfully, the intruder was Auel, his power-blue hair hard to miss. The eleven-year-old closed the door as silently as Stellar did, and then darted over to the other two. "I can't find Mom," he hissed, joining them on the bed.

Sting recalled a blonde woman he had seen in the corridors, Auel sometimes trailing after her. They looked nothing alike, but Auel seemed so drawn to her that he constantly referred to her as his mother.

"Where is she? Have you seen her?" Auel clutched a fistful of sheet. "I looked everywhere, but I can't find her!"

Sting touched the metallic collar around his neck. "No."

"Maybe she's sleeping?" Stellar offered.

Auel shook his head, frowning. "She works at night, too, _stupid._"

Stellar shrank back at the name.

"Auel, don't call her 'stupid,'" Sting intervened sternly. "You're stupid, too."

Auel glared. "No, I'm not."

"I'm _not_ stupid!" Stellar shrieked, finally defending herself. The two boys jumped, and then shared glances of fear when they heard footsteps.

Stellar gasped and moved closer to the wall. "I'm sorry!" she squeaked.

A worker swung the door open, flicking on the light, and immediately frowned. "What are you two doing in here?"

Sting faced the man defiantly. Anticipating the worst, the twelve-year-old moved to hide Stellar from view, and Auel gave the man his fiercest glare.

"Harrelson, get in here." The first man stalked over to the bed and grabbed Auel by the arm. "You disobeyed the rules," he spoke sharply. "No one – I repeat, _no one_ is allowed to leave their rooms at night."

"What is it, Darkin?" Harrelson appeared in the doorway, wearing the same white lab uniform.

"It's the troublemaker and the empty-headed girl," Darkin replied.

Auel promptly chomped down on the unfriendly arm around his shoulders and neck.

Darkin swore and fumbled all over his coat with his free hand until he produced a familiar, black object, clicking a single gray button. Split-second, low electrical charges sprang from the neck brace Auel wore, causing the child to howl with pain, clawing at his neck. Stellar began to cry.

Sting leaped from his bed. "Hey!"

Harrelson shoved Sting back onto the bed and grabbed Stellar by her wrist. "I've had enough of this. These three need to learn some discipline."

The lights went off as the men and children departed the room. Sting heard Stellar's sobbing and Auel's shouting for "Mom" until they faded at last, and he was alone, completely alone, and for some reason, that thought made him feel very uncomfortable.

* * *

Sting stood in a white walled room, staring straight ahead at the door, awaiting the arrival of Auel and Stellar. Three long months had come and gone, and Sting knew he would only remember them as a nightmare. Three months spent completely isolated from everyone but a few workers and scientists. The meals were dull and meagre, the room temperature ranging from sweat-worthy to frigid. Every so often he was transported to a solitary training room where he would continue shooting at various targets (including those shaped like humans), practicing with blades, learning to blend in a crowd, and more. He was to be a solider. 

And the voice, the never-ending monotonous whispers in the dark telling him over and over about being abandoned.

_You have no family. You have no friends. You have nothing. You are alone._

Sting fought against the voice, finding himself constantly thinking back to Auel and Stellar. Where were they? Were they all right? Were they alive?

His questions would soon be answered. Auel and Stellar were led into the room by the same two men, Harrelson and Darkin, newly-instated partners in research. The two children went to stand by Sting.

Darkin spoke first. "You three have been chosen to be under our guidance and the first to be observed under our new experimental way of producing the strongest soldiers, perhaps even stronger than coordinators. This experiment will go on for sometime, and because of your headstrong attitudes, we have taken measures to keep you three in control. Allow me to demonstrate."

Sting wondered with held breath what kind of demonstration Darkin was going to give. The tall man strode over to Auel, who stood solidly with narrowed eyes. Darkin smiled thinly. "Auel, where is your mother?"

Sting watched as Auel blinked and then shuddered. "M-Mother? Mom! Where is Mom? _Where is she?_" he yelled, looking right, left, up, down, panicking. "Mom will _die_ if I—if—! Augh!" Auel ran for the door, banging on the impenetrable material, wailing for his mother.

"Die?" Sting whipped his head over to Stellar. Tears flowed as she hugged herself tightly, backing away from the two men and Sting. "_Die?_ S-Stellar doesn't _want_ to die!" she screamed, speaking in a way Sting had never heard before from her. "Stellar wants to _live!_"

Sting faced a triumphant Darkin.

Harrelson continued the conversation. "They have block words designed to keep them in line. You have one, too, Sting, but I don't think we'll need to use it often on you. You're better-behaved then they are. But know that if you ever step out of line and rebel, you will be _isolated_ immediately – _alone_ and _abandoned_."

_N-No_, the boy thought between quickened breaths, _No, I won't think about it! I won't, I won't, I won't... _But all his efforts were fruitless, for Sting began to tremble all over with uncontrollable fear, recalling the nightmare.


End file.
